January 31, 2008

No, I don’t think there is. But I feel very strongly about people who call themselves “Christians” and yet they lie and twist the beliefs of the LDS faith, now I know I just wrote a post about Charity, so I am trying the best I can to be as loving as I can in this situation. (and I realize I am not doing a very good job, sorry)

OK, I’m sure you would like to know why, right?!?

Bill Keller. Do you know who he is? If not I am so sorry that I am introducing you to this man. And I will warn you that this is really upsetting (so if you can’t stomach the anti, do not read any further!) 😦

So basically this guy is a Internet and television “evangelist” He has a website called “Live Prayer”. This guy claims to have millions of followers, and he sends out a “Daily Devotional” to these millions of subscribers.

Yesterday he sent out a “devotional” about Pres. Hinckley’s passing, He entitled his “devotional”….

“An Evil Tool of Satan Masquerading as a Godly Grandfather is Burning in Hell”I’m not going to paraphrase I will just leave the link and you can read it if you choose. http://www.liveprayer.com/ddarchive3.cfm?id=3207I’m discusted by this guys disrespect but not only that he is sending out false info about our church to people who BELIEVE him. I know we are asked to stear clear of the anti bologna, but I think every LDS person out there should know what this guy is saying and teaching millions of people, and we should stand up and say NO WAY DUDE, you WILL NOT get away with this.YOUR thoughts???

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

This is one of the most powerful scriptures I have ever read. Sometimes it is not easy to be charitable to those who hate, despise, and are cruel to us. But Heavenly Father knows us, He knows what is in our hearts. As difficult as it may be to love those that hate us, when we do as God commands, our hearts will be filled, our knowledge will increase, and we will be blessed with a glimpse of how much our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ love US.

I just recieved an email from Ray that President Hinckley passed away.

Being a new member I have very mixed emotions. He is the only prophet I have known, and I am so deeply sad that he is gone. At the same time I see things from a different perspective now that I am LDS. This is very sad, but at the same time he has gone home, and he will be with his Heavenly Father, and His Savior Jesus Christ! And He will be with his sweetheart again.

President Hinckley was an amazing man, I remember the first time the missionaries told me that there was a prophet. I could not wait to see and hear this man. So they went and got the “Special Witnesses” DVD, and I eagerly watched it to find out what this prophet was all about. I instantly loved him, and I was determined that I would meet this man. I am sad that I will not have the chance.

For those of you who did not know him, here is the offical church statement regarding his passing. It will give you a glimpse into his life and who he was.

LDS Church Statement On Gordon B. Hinckley’s Passing

The following is an official statement issued by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008 following the death of the Mormon president:President Gordon B. Hinckley, who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through nearly 13 years of global expansion, has died at the age of 97.President Hinckley was the15th president in the 177-year history of the Church, and had served as its president since 12 March 1995.The Church president died this evening at 7:00 p.m. of causes incident to age at home surrounded by his family. A successor is not expected to be formally chosen by the Church’s Council of Twelve Apostles until after President Hinckley’s funeral within the next few days.President Hinckley was known, even at the age of 97, as a tireless leader who always put in a full day at the office and traveled extensively around the world to mix with Church members, now numbering more than 13 million in 160 nations.

His quick wit and humor combined with an eloquent style at the pulpit made him one of the most loved of modern Church leaders. A profoundly spiritual man, he had a great fondness for history and often peppered his sermons with stories from the Church’s pioneer past.He was a popular interview subject with journalists, appearing on “60 Minutes” with Mike Wallace and on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” as well as in hundreds of newspapers and magazines over the years. During the Salt Lake Olympics of 2002, his request that the Church refrain from proselytizing visitors was credited by media with generating much of the goodwill that flowed to the Church from the international event.In recent years, a number of major developments in the Church reflected President Hinckley’s personal drive and direction. In calling for 100 temples to be in operation before the end of the year 2000, the president committed the Church to a massive temple building program.In 1999 – 169 years after the Church was organized by its founder, Joseph Smith – the Church had 56 operating temples. Three years later that number had doubled, largely because of a smaller, highly practical temple architectural plan that delivered these sacred buildings to Church members in far-flung parts of the world. Many more Church members can now experience the sacred ceremonies that occur only in temples, including marriages for eternity and the sealing of families in eternal units.

President Hinckley was the most traveled president in the Church’s history. His duties have taken him around the world many times to meet with Latter-day Saints in more than 60 countries. He is the first Church president to travel to Spain, where in 1996 he broke ground for a temple in Madrid; and to the African nations of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Cape Verde, where he met with thousands of Latter-day Saints in 1998.At a general conference of Church members in April 2001, President Hinckley initiated the Perpetual Education Fund – an ambitious program to help young members of the Church (mainly returning missionaries from developing countries) receive higher education and work-related training in nations where they would otherwise likely never receive it. Closer to his Salt Lake City home, President Hinckley announced the construction of a new Conference Center in 1996, and dedicated it four years later. Seating 21,000 people, it is believed to be the largest religious and theater auditorium in the world, and has become the hub for the Church’s messages to the world, broadcast in 54 languages.Even before his term as president, President Hinckley’s extensive Church service included 14 years as a counselor in the First Presidency, the highest presiding body in the government of the Church, and for 20 years before that, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

President Hinckley was born 23 June 1910, in Salt Lake City, a son of Bryant Stringham and Ada Bitner Hinckley. One of his forebears, Stephen Hopkins, came to America on the Mayflower. Another, Thomas Hinckley, served as governor of the Plymouth Colony from 1680 to 1692.President Hinckley’s first job was as a newspaper carrier for the Deseret News, a Salt Lake City daily. After attending public schools in Salt Lake City, he earned a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Utah and then served two years as a full-time missionary for the Church in Great Britain. He served with distinction and ultimately was appointed as an assistant to the Church apostle who presided over all the European missions.Upon successfully completing his missionary service in the mid-1930s, he was asked by then Church President Heber J. Grant to organize what has become the Church’s Public Affairs Department.President Hinckley began serving as a member of the Sunday School general board in 1937, two years after returning home from missionary service in Great Britain. For 20 years he directed all Church public communications. In 1951 he was named executive secretary of the General Missionary Committee, managing the entire missionary program of the Church, and served in this capacity for seven years.

On 6 April 1958, while serving as president of the East Millcreek Stake in Salt Lake City (a stake is similar to a diocese), President Hinckley was appointed as a general authority, or senior full-time leader of the Church. In this capacity he served as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles before being appointed to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on 5 October 1961. President Hinckley has received a number of educational honors including the Distinguished Citizen Award from Southern Utah University; Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Utah; and honorary doctorates from Westminster College, Utah State University, University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Southern Utah University, Utah Valley State College and Salt Lake Community College. The Gordon B. Hinckley Endowment for British Studies, a program focused on the arts, literature and history of the United Kingdom, was established at the University of Utah. President Hinckley was awarded the Silver Buffalo Award by the Boy Scouts of America; was honored by the National Conference of Community and Justice (formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews) for his contributions to tolerance and understanding in the world; and received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In March 2000 President Hinckley addressed the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. He also has addressed the Religion Newswriters Association, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and twice has addressed the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.President Hinckley has written and edited several books and numerous manuals, pamphlets and scripts, including a best-selling book, Standing for Something, aimed at a general audience. In it he champions the virtues of love, honesty, morality, civility, learning, forgiveness, mercy, thrift and industry, gratitude, optimism and faith. He also testifies of what he calls the “guardians of virtue,” namely traditional marriage and family. President Hinckley married Majorie Pay in the Salt Lake Temple in 1937. They are the parents of five children. Sister Hinckley passed away April 6, 2004

***** Please be respectful, I beg of you, if you do not have something nice to say PLEASE do not comment.

January 22, 2008

This weekend I went to visit some good friends who live about an hour away. We spent the day, grilling out, talking and playing games. I did not realize until my son started to get whiny that it was 11:30 pm, and I still had to drive an hour to get home. So I started my van up, and let it run and get warm (it was 15 degrees outside) and loaded the kids up. As I drove down the hill my gas light went on. So I drove to the nearest gas station, which (of course!) was closed. I did not know this town well enough to venture off the path to find another gas station, so I decided to keep going and pull off at the next one I came across.

There were NONE, (this area I was driving through is newer, and not quite developed) so I kept going, as I drove I went through the BIG scary city, and was afraid to get off in this area, so I kept going and figured I had enough to make it through the bad part.

***ok side note. This van I’m driving is new, I had just traded my durango in for it, and had not yet reached empty. My durango could make it 2 days on empty so I thought I had plenty to get me to a better area)

So i’m sure you guessed it by now, as I’m getting to the exit I want to take to get gas, the car shuts down. So I PRAY and I put it in neutral and coast as far as I can. I made it about a 1/2 a mile UPHILL which was weird. And I ended up at the stop light which thank heavens had a very large shoulder. I could see the gas station across the bridge about a half a mile away. By now it was 12am, and I was so scared to have to walk this with my kids in the freezing cold dark dangerous road.

I started to panic, and so I prayed and I asked for help because I was so scared and I did not know what to do.

*** oh another side note, I have no cell phone!

So I start to get out of the car, and a guy in a large truck is stopped at the light and asks me if i’m ok. I look at him, and I just trust that God will keep me and the kids safe, so I yell back that I have run out of gas.

So he backs up and pulls behind me. He gets out of the truck and I was SO relieved! He was an under cover cop. He had a bullet proof vest on that read “POLICE” across his chest. I about fell over.

He told me to get back in the car and he would go get me a gas can and some gas.

I title this post “Small Miracles?” with a question mark, because I believe all miracles are equally HUGE. There is no such thing as a small one!

I realize that I was totally at fault for this, that I should not have let my tank get so low. Even so, my Heavenly Father was looking out for us, keeping us safe.

I cannot even begin to express my gratitude and love to my Father in Heaven. He amazes me constantly, even when, no, ESPECIALLY when, I do not deserve it!

There are a few good people on the blog, and then there are the most hateful folks I have ever encountered. And I have met some pretty awful people. They call themselves “Christian” and yet they lack the qualities of true Christians. They twist LDS beliefs, and then when an LDS person comes to defend their faith they call us liars. They judge, and then justify their actions by saying it’s ok to judge NON Christians.

This is why I LOVE Mormons. I have never heard hateful things about any other person or religion come from ANYBODY’S mouth. They are the kindest most loving people I have ever met. They even love those who hate them. You Mormons out there are such amazing examples. Thank you all for being so flippin wonderful.

So many people try to bring up the “you joined because you felt accepted and they befriended you”. Which is not true, I did not know ONE member when I joined. I joined because I prayed, and my prayer was answered. BUT, the LDS people have shown me a glimpse of My Heavenly Father, and His Son because of their loving examples!

The intent of these hateful people is to tear us down and deceive others. But the only thing they have succeeded in, is reminding me how grateful I am for the Gospel, and how grateful I am for the awesome Mormons in my life, and those that I will meet in the future.

To all those who are hateful and judgemental, I feel so sorry for you, my heart goes out to you, I hope one day you open your heart and see the truth, and you will be blessed with happiness, peace, and love!

January 3, 2008

With the Holiday stress behind me, I look at the New Year with optimism. I have renewed hope that we can continue on our Journey here, and continue to grow and learn.

During the little break I thought a lot about the people I have met here, and how their views have influenced and changed me. I have learned a lot from everyone.

From BR and EJ I have learned that it is possible to love people even when their views are very different then mine. The 3 of us were able to form a very sweet friendship, one that is very special to me.

From Coventry I have actually learned the most. I have appreciated his insight and involvement here. He made things very interesting. And I now know, there are good people out there, that are good just to be good, and I think that is pretty amazing.

And then there are all my sweet Mormon buddies, who rescued me from the crazy Anti’s 🙂 Without them I probably would have torn my hair out 🙂

So I am opening the blog back up for discussion. But just know that I am renewed and ready!!!! My love for the Anti’s is fixin to explode!!!!!!!

December 22, 2007

This Christmas has been extremly sad and difficult for myself and my children with my husband being so far away.

It’s also hitting me a bit harder when people comment here regarding my faith in my Savior, whom I hold so dear to my heart. Because it is Christmas, I want to be happy and focus on the Savior, without being told that I am not a “Christian”.

The reason I started this blog was to help people understand that Mormons are great people, who try there best to live according to what they know to be true.

But instead people come here and try to tear down our beliefs.

My hope was that people would want to hear us. Instead they close their ears and talk over us.

I used to be anti too, but one day I figured it was only fair to hear what an actual Mormon had to say, rather then listen to all the non Mormons preach about what Mormons believe. I’m so glad that I did.

My hope is for all God’s children (which is EVERYONE) will have the kind of peace that I have found. I will always hope for this, even when others are hateful and mean.

Because of the sadness I feel right now, I have decided to shut down my blog. I will be opening it back up after the new year. Hopefully this will give everyone a break, and we can start fresh.

My hope will always stay the same, that people will find that the LDS faith is true and wonderful, that the church has been restored, that God loves His children and He still talks to us.

I know that my Savior lives, because of his sacrifice my burdens have been lifted, I have peace in my heart, and happiness in my soul. I love Him with everything inside of me!